34nineteen
Well-known member
So, this didnt start off as a swingarm conversion. Basically, I was trying to put a motor back together to get the methbuell running and on the road.
When I was putting another motor together, I had swapped the spray painted cam cover with a good condition one I had from a 2004 XB12. They're the same, right????
WRONG.
So, the 2004 cam cover went on the 2006 engine easily. Super easy, hardly an inconvenience. I bolted up the heads, installed the exhaust, and bolted the frame back down. I also wound up installing some of wiring harness and the oil cooler lines. No problem so far....
Well, I went to start installing the rear oil lines and ran into this....
What the deuce?
The "nut" hits the cam cover before the hose even fully engages. So, I back out the fitting a little and it still doesnt fit.
Looking closely, everything looks ok.
Let me look at the old cover.... AHA! M-er f-ers!
So, it looks like when they changed the oil lines from running under the engine on the earlier bikes with the older swingarm, they added a little bit of material to the cam cover to space out the fitting just a little. The "flush" hole works fine when the fitting and hose point down, but when you point them u, it creates a problem. But with the other cam cover in place, no problemo amigo.
The frustrating part is, had I had known this little change earlier, I would have put a different cam cover on it. Now, I need to pull the exhaust, remove the frame, loosen the rocker boxes, replace the cam cover. Ugh.
Well, instead of whining about my 1st world problems on the internet. Why not take the incentive and solve my problem? Because thats not how we do things around here. Anyhow... I tried this, but it creates another problem.
While the hose now fits, the other oil hose and wire harnesses dont fit back there. I was reluctant to trim away the plastic (so far). I'm trying to find a solution before grabbing the snippers.
Anyhow, the lesson learned here is that before you do a swingarm conversion, or replace a cam cover, be sure to look for that raised portion of the cover. It seems like the revised cover with the raised section will work in either setup, but the flush one only works with the early hose setup. I have the solution in my hands, but the lazy portion of me is going to find a workaround. But for now, I'm getting a beer.
Dammit! Who drank all the beer in my fridge?
and lastly, for the love of doG, please dont spray paint your bike.
When I was putting another motor together, I had swapped the spray painted cam cover with a good condition one I had from a 2004 XB12. They're the same, right????
WRONG.
So, the 2004 cam cover went on the 2006 engine easily. Super easy, hardly an inconvenience. I bolted up the heads, installed the exhaust, and bolted the frame back down. I also wound up installing some of wiring harness and the oil cooler lines. No problem so far....
Well, I went to start installing the rear oil lines and ran into this....
What the deuce?
The "nut" hits the cam cover before the hose even fully engages. So, I back out the fitting a little and it still doesnt fit.
Looking closely, everything looks ok.
Let me look at the old cover.... AHA! M-er f-ers!
So, it looks like when they changed the oil lines from running under the engine on the earlier bikes with the older swingarm, they added a little bit of material to the cam cover to space out the fitting just a little. The "flush" hole works fine when the fitting and hose point down, but when you point them u, it creates a problem. But with the other cam cover in place, no problemo amigo.
The frustrating part is, had I had known this little change earlier, I would have put a different cam cover on it. Now, I need to pull the exhaust, remove the frame, loosen the rocker boxes, replace the cam cover. Ugh.
Well, instead of whining about my 1st world problems on the internet. Why not take the incentive and solve my problem? Because thats not how we do things around here. Anyhow... I tried this, but it creates another problem.
While the hose now fits, the other oil hose and wire harnesses dont fit back there. I was reluctant to trim away the plastic (so far). I'm trying to find a solution before grabbing the snippers.
Anyhow, the lesson learned here is that before you do a swingarm conversion, or replace a cam cover, be sure to look for that raised portion of the cover. It seems like the revised cover with the raised section will work in either setup, but the flush one only works with the early hose setup. I have the solution in my hands, but the lazy portion of me is going to find a workaround. But for now, I'm getting a beer.
Dammit! Who drank all the beer in my fridge?
and lastly, for the love of doG, please dont spray paint your bike.
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